Madera, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Crosswalk/hydrant buffer
- 15 feet
- Building entrance buffer
- 12 feet
- Minimum pedestrian passage
- 6 feet must remain
- School buffer before 4pm
- 300 feet
- Downtown public lots
- vending banned
- Max vendors gathering
- 2 without a CUP
Summary
Madera Municipal Code § 10-3.416(C)(6) bars vendors from operating within 15 feet of any crosswalk or fire hydrant, in diagonal parking spaces, on curbs painted for restricted parking, and anywhere in the Downtown Business District's publicly-owned lots or pocket parks without written City Council permission.
(6) In no case shall a vendor operate in the following described areas except as permitted in writing by the City Council or it's authorized representative: (a) Within 15 feet of any crosswalk or fire hydrant: (b) In marked diagonal parking spaces: (c) On any sidewalk or street adjacent to a curb which has been designated as a white, yellow, blue, green or red zone: ... (g) Vendors shall not be permitted to operate at any publicly-owned off-street location in the Downtown Business District, including but not limited to parking lots and pocket parks. This section shall not be construed to prohibit vendors from operating on privately-owned property in the Downtown Business District pursuant to a valid use permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
416 lists the specific places a mobile vendor cannot set up in Madera, and the list is written as a flat bar unless the City Council or its authorized representative grants written permission. It reaches within 15 feet of any crosswalk or fire hydrant, any marked diagonal parking space, any sidewalk or street next to a curb painted white, yellow, blue, green or red, within 12 feet of a building entrance used by the public, and any spot where pedestrian passage would drop below six feet.
A Madera police officer's judgment on whether a location creates a traffic hazard is treated as conclusive under (C)(6)(f). Subsection (C)(6)(g) singles out the Downtown Business District: vendors cannot operate at any publicly-owned off-street location there, including parking lots and pocket parks, though the section is written to allow vending on privately-owned Downtown property under a valid use permit. on school days. No more than two vendors may gather at one location under (C)(5) without an approved conditional use permit.
Violations & Fines
Setting up in a barred location under § 10-3.416(C)(6), such as within 15 feet of a crosswalk or fire hydrant or on Downtown Business District public property, violates the section. Under the general penalty clause, § 1-2.01, that is an infraction under Cal. Gov't Code § 36900 as of 1981, or, where a misdemeanor applies, is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a new offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food vendor set up near a crosswalk in Madera?
Is vending allowed in Downtown Madera?
How close can a vendor get to a school in Madera?
Who decides if a vending location is a traffic hazard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
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